East Knox fends off Grove City in OT, 50-49
Bulldogs scoring leader Shane Knepp was kept off the scoreboard in the first quarter, but he was a force the rest of the way as East Knox prevailed in a hard-fought 50-49 win in overtime over Grove City Christian on Dec. 30.
The Bulldogs are now 7-3 on the season and 5-0 in KMAC, while the GCC Eagles fell to 6-3.
In the first for EK, Carson Steinmetz drained a three and Dillon Moreland hit for five points as the quarter ended with East Knox ahead 8-6. In the second, Knepp hit two long threes and a total of 10 points to help give the Bulldogs a 22-18 lead at the half. After a light-scoring third by both teams (6-6) – in which four of EK’s six came from Knepp – both teams went to work in a furious fourth. The Eagles put up 19 points to 15 for the “Dogs – eight by Knepp. The overtime belonged to Peyton Lester, who hit five of EK’s seven, to take home a one-point victory.
East Knox received scoring from six players, led by Knepp’s 23. Lester scored 10 and Moreland had nine.
Fredericktown erases 10-point deficit to beat Clear Fork, 57-48
Fredericktown came from behind and wiped out a 10-point deficit to earn its second win of the season, taming the Clear Fork Colts, 57-48, on Dec. 29,
The Freddies (2-7, 1-5 KMAC), dropped the Colts to 2-9 on the season.
Teegan Ruhl kept the Freddies in the game with nine points in the first to help Fredericktown stay within two points at 16-14. The Colts played a strong second to take a 31-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Freddies came out in the third quarter with a firestorm at both ends of the court, scoring 13 and holding Clear Fork to two, to wipe out the deficit and take a 44-43 lead into the final quarter. Brady Lester popped in six to lead the Freddies on the third. The fourth was a scoring battle that the suddenly red-hot Freddies won, 23-15. Fredericktown spread the scoring around among five players in the fourth, paced by Ruhl with nine.
Ruhl finished the game with 20 points to lead Fredericktown, followed by Kaid Carpenter with 16,and Lester with 13.
Highland starts strong, blown out in second in 67-40 loss to Worthington
The Highland Flying Scots saw a first-quarter lead evaporate with a monster second by Worthington Christian, and the Scots never recovered, falling 67-40 on Dec. 29.
The Flying Scots got two threes from Jordan Bellamy and three deuces from Garrett Fitzpatrick in the first as Highland took a 13-12 lead. The Scots went cold in the second quarter, with a two each from Fitzpatrick and Rider Minnick, while Worthington exploded for 27 points, divided among six players, to take an insurmountable 39-17 lead at the half.
Worthington padded the lead by four in the third, though Brock Church sank two threes for Highland. In the fourth, WC took care of business and finished off the 17-point win. Minnick hit a three and seven points in the fourth for Highland.
Highland was led on the scoresheet by Minnick with 11 points and Fitzpatrick with 10.
The loss dropped Highland to 3-6, 0-3 Mid-Ohio, and Worthington improved to 5-5 and 3-1 in conference.
Ridgemont powers past Mount Gilead, 70-50
Ridgemont took an early lead and powered past Mount Gilead, 70-50, on Dec. 29.
Down 20-10 after one and 38-19 after two, the Indians gave it a second-half try but fell by 20.
Elijah Chafin scored seven of the Indians’ 10 in the first, but the team could not sustain any scoring traction until a run in the fourth quarter on scoring from six players, and the Indians were defeated. The Golden Gophers improved to 9-1 and dropped Mount Gilead to 5-4 overall (4-2 KMAC).
Mount Gilead was led by Chafin with 16 points and Paul Butterman with 10.
